The present invention relates to communications, and more particularly, but not exclusively, relates to communication with ultrasound transcutaneously transmitted between devices carried on or implanted in the human body.
Various approaches have been suggested to communicate between electronic devices carried on a person's body. Of particular interest is the communication between components of a hearing aid system. Such systems frequently include a signal processor, one or more microphone units, and/or hearing stimulus units spaced apart form one another relative to a user's body. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/805,233 filed on Mar. 13, 2001; Ser. No. 09/568,435 filed on May 10, 2000, and Ser. No. 09/568,430 filed on May 10, 2000; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,927 B1 are cited as further sources concerning various hearing systems.
Interconnecting body-carried components for hearing systems and other applications by wires or cables to facilitate electrical or optical communication between the components is generally undesirable. Indeed, wireless Radio Frequency (RF) communications through the atmosphere have been suggested to address this shortcoming. However, communication through the transmission of electromagnetic signals in this manner also has certain drawbacks, such as the potential for interference by stray signals, the difficulty of incorporating the necessary transmission and reception circuits into a device of a size that can be comfortably worn by the user, undesirable power consumption, and/or a high degree of signal attenuation. Accordingly, there is an ongoing demand for further contributions in this area of technology.